It's not a very solid adaptation of the book. In my opinion, the best adaptations are the 1985 anime, the 1986 miniseries, and the 1997 Russian film.

I mean, I can't stay too mad at Shirley Temple. She's clearly giving it her all here, but why not change the characters if you're going to make it a whole different story?

Ignore the soulless fellows below: if you have any appreciation for sweetness, innocence and charm, for everything good about film, you'll love this. Shirley was the uncontested princess of Hollywood for a reason.

Ignore anyone who says otherwise.

I think some of the previous reviewers who gave one or two stars because this wasn't the story in the book, missed that this movie was "based on" (but not equivalent to) the book. That means, yes, the names of the characters may be similar, yes, it may be in the same time frame, yes, it may have some of the same story elements, but NO, it's not actually that story. And to the one that says "Shirley Temple makes me sick she's so sugary" well, that was pretty much the style of every movie she was in, why expect any different from any particular one?
So, maybe it's not a movie on par with "the best" but doggone it, it's pretty good.

Today 29th January 2019
HI
I just love this Congress Archive
Thank you for the wonderful opportunity that you give to us.
To read books
To see movies, etc
Maria Cecilia

I am a huge fan of old movies. For the most part, the colorful costumes and family friendly story lines have great appeal to me. This movie is the exception. This is a horrible injustice to the author of the book this movie claims to be based on. The Temple version is enough to make me actually feel ill to my stomach, like eating 10 pounds of cotton candy. I have watched this movie only once and refuse to ever subject myself to this garbage again. The movies popularity stems from nothing more than Shirley Temple's cuteness. This movie, or the story rather, is not about cuteness. I wish there was a rating lower than one star.

If you want to see a truly good version, look for the 1986 mini series. Which is perhaps the only version better than the original version, staring Mary Pickford. The Mary Pickford version, really lets you feel Sara Crewe's misery. The bleakness of her life. You can almost feel the coldness of the attic, and you really wish you were in a position to just take the little girl away from that awful place. And buggy whip Miss Michin.

If you compared these movies to food, the versions I mention would be the finest offerings of the best chef in the world, where as the Temple version, would compare to the scrapings from the bottom of the dumpster outside McDonalds.

Again, this story is not about how cute Shirley Temple looks in her dress, how cute her little dimples are, or how curly her hair is. Nor about how she can tap dance, sing or any of the other fluff and glam the Temple version demonstrates.

If you are a Temple fan, sure add this to your collection, if you are a fan of good movies, turn your nose up and pass this trash by.

It is a bit harder to find the 1986 mini series and the Mary Pickford version (both can be found on youtube) But it is well worth looking for and watching. Even if the sound and video are not perfect, due to the nature of youtube, they are still by far superior to this version.

Any Temple Film Would Put A Diabetic In A Coma..!

Getting to the predictable happy ending is an agonizing pleasure. Shirley Temple is able pull at all one's heartstrings.

One of the best Shirley Temple movies! This is a charming story. Shirley is one of the best actresses that ever lived and I hope her movies and her talent will never be forgotten. The other actors here a very good as well, especially the adorable little Sybil Jason who plays Becky. It's interesting that Warner Brothers wanted her to be sort of a rival actress to Shirley. They are marvelous on screen together; it's so sweet that they became very close friends in real life. This is a great film to watch with the entire family.

I LOVE SHIRLEY TEMPLE.I AM 27 AND LITTLE PRINCESS IS FIRST COMPLETE SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIE THAT I SEEN BECAUSE I LIVE IN IRAN AND THERE ARE NOT ANY SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIE HERE .
I LOVE SHIRLEY TEMPLE BECAUSE SHE DEFENITELY IS THE BEST LITTLE STAR FROM BEGINING OF CINEMA!
LOVE !

The first little dance number between Sarah and the lanky boarding school brother is not to be missed.
Too much!

I love Shirley Temple! This movie is a CLASSIC! When I was younger I would watch this movie all the time. For a little girl or families, I must recommend watching it.

In short the story line is very simple. After living a coddled life in India, pretty Sara Crewe goes off to boarding school in England while her father goes to fight the Boer War for his Queen. Though she gets pleasure from the interest of tutor Miss Rose and the good-looking riding tutor who is wooing the teacher, Sara abhors unbending headmistress Miss Minchin. When Sara's father is reported among the dead, the headmistress coerces the girl to become a servant and stay in the attic.
But adorable scullery maid Becky and a kind-hearted Indian man next door make Sara's life bearable while she seeks out for her father, whose death she repudiates to admit. Though she gets in difficulty for escaping her chores, the little princess dreams of a better life as she haunts the veteran's hospital, hoping for a marvel. In the end, her resilience pays off.
And now I must inform you that anyone fondly remembering Francis Hodgson Burnett's novel should try to forget it before viewing this film. THE LITTLE PRINCESS has some good points - beautiful costumes, excellent sets, a dramatic historical backdrop - but Shirley Temple's Sara Crewe can be quite grating. When she's supposed to be suffering, which is often, she's whiny and petulant. When she's supposed to be cheerful, she looks phony, particularly in a couple of ridiculous dance numbers thrown in for her fans.
But still WORTH A WATCH ÃÂ interesting, entertaining, cool.

Manavkaushik at hotmail.

America's sweet heart never looked mistreated or sounded English throughout the movie. Of course not, it's escapism.
So click and watch and escape for awhile.

it's a classic.

The film certainly has its flaws, but after you watch it, they all fade away and what remains is the memory of a fantastic Shirley Temple performance. Watch this film and you'll see why she was THE most popular actor (child or adult) for most of the 1930s. In fact, I think she gives her best-ever performance in this particular movie. Sarah Crew's reversals of fortune are compelling, and Shirley does a terrific job conveying this intelligent, kind-hearted little girl's joys and sorrows. She shows a great range of emotions as a child bravely coping with one loss after another, and never becomes cloying or sappy (unlike the annoying love story involving secondary characters). Song and dance are used sparingly, except for the dream sequence, and that makes them all the more appreciated when they do appear. Only the dream sequence is the sort of ham-fisted, ultra-cutsey fluff for which modern audiences often (unfairly) ridicle Shirley Temple and dismiss her genuine talents as an actor. I'm a fan of the book, too, and a big fan of the 1995 remake of "A Little Princess" with a very talented actor named Liesel Matthews in the lead. But no one should sell Shirely short. She really had a special talent, and used it to the fullest in this movie.

If you really don't care that the movie "A Little Princess" with Shirley Temple has a good bit of material in it that has nothing to do with the book of the same name by Francis Hodgson Burnett, then you'll probably enjoy the movie more.

Shirley Temple plays a young girl attending Miss Minchin's Seminary for Young Ladies. When her father is reported as killed in the Boer War, Shirley is cruelly exploited by the cold, uncaring Miss Minchin. But she continues to hope against hope that she will see her father again, and she does at the end, and sees Queen Victoria as well.

Gratuitous thwarted romance between Richard Greene and Anita Louise. Extended production dream sequence with ballet dancers. Gratuitous, but fun songs and dances with a young Arthur Treacher. A little something for everyone.

RottenTomatoes gave it 83% (5/6). Imdb gave it 7/10. I'm giving it four stars instead of five because I liked the book.